Method and system for facilitating trading of digital media space

Abstract

A system for trading media space includes a server node which receives requests for media space from buyers and offers of media space from sellers. The server node includes a set of rules for matching one of the requests and with a composite offer including a plurality of media spaces from a plurality of sellers which collectively meet the requirements of the one of the buyers. A delivery system is connected to said server node for facilitating delivery of media content between the buyer and seller of the matched pair.

1 . A system for trading media space, comprising: 
 a server node operatively connectable to user interfaces for receiving requests for media space from buyers and offers of media space from sellers, said server comprising a memory with a set of rules for matching one of the requests with a composite offer to form a matched request and offer pair, the composite offer including a plurality of media spaces from a plurality of sellers which collectively meet the requirements of the buyers; and    a delivery system connected to said server node for facilitating delivery of media content between the buyer and seller of the matched request and offer pair.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media spaces from the plurality of sellers in the consolidated offer is a portion that is less than an entirety of one of said offers of media space from the sellers.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a buyer's content database and a seller's content database, wherein said server node is connectable to said buyer's content database and to said seller's content database by a non-dedicated bandwidth.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a contents database including means for receiving the media content from the buyer when the request is submitted to the server node and storing the media content in the contents database, and means for automatically delivering the media content from the contents database to the one of the sellers of the matched pair in response to said server node.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said server node includes means for initiating delivery of the media content from the buyer to the seller.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said delivery system comprises a data management module for optimizing delivery of the media content by caching the media content on multiple servers.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the buyers request is in the form of a free text search.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said delivery system further distributes the media content through data transfer means.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the data transfer means includes applications including at least one of email and office.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said composite offer comprises at least two alternative composite offers.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein one of the alternative composite offers is the most inexpensive composite offer that matches the buyers criteria.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said composite offer comprises only a single composite offer.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mediation system connectable to a seller for tracking delivery of the media content to the seller and performance of the offer by the seller.  
     
     
         14 . A method for trading media space, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving, at a server node, requests for media space from buyers and offers of media space from sellers; and    matching a request of one of the buyers with a composite offer to form a matched request and offer pair using a set of rules, the composite offer including a plurality of media spaces from a plurality of sellers which collectively meet the requirements of the one of the buyers.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media spaces from the plurality of sellers in the consolidated offer is a portion that is less than an entirety of one of said offers of media space from the sellers.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of receiving, by a contents database, the media content from the buyer when the request is submitted to the server node and storing the media content in the contents database, and automatically delivering the media content from the contents database to the one of the sellers of the matched pair in response to said server node.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of translating, at the contents database, the media content from an originating format to a second format that is compatible with at least one of the sellers of the composite offer.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of delivering the media content from a first database of the one of the buyers of the matched pair to the sellers of the composite offer.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said step of delivering comprises, initiating, by the server node, delivery of the media content from the buyer to the seller.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said step of delivering comprises caching the media content on multiple servers.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said step of delivering is performed automatically in response to the composite offer comprises only a single composite offer.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of tracking delivery of the media content to the seller and performance of the offer by the seller.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the buyers request is in the form of a free text search.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the composite offer comprises at least two alternative composite offers.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein one of the alternative composite offers is the most inexpensive composite offer that matches the buyers criteria.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the composite offer comprises only a single composite offer.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of translating the media content from an originating format to a second format that is compatible with at least one of the sellers of the composite offer.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of matching comprises periodically performing a matching algorithm until the composite offer is found.